Nice recovery. Sam Cooney first missed on this kickoff but he recovered to make the tackle.

By Glenn M. Parrish

Democrat Editor

When Booneville and Maumelle changed ends of the field in Maumelle Friday night the Bearcats had a 28-17 lead. In less than three minutes it was 47-17 and the Bearcats would complete a 10-0 regular season and Conference 4A-4 title.

After a quarter break walk almost from end to end – to the home end of the single bleacher stadium, Bryson May scored on a third-and-goal from the 3 and although the point after kick by Landon Vance was wide, it was 34-17.

It was May’s fourth touchdown of the night as he ran 23 times for 130 yards.

Robinson was sacked by Justin Shackleford on first down. He scrambled on second down but got back to the line of scrimmage before being dragged down by Shackleford and Dalton Gray. Robinson was hurt on the play and had to leave the game.

Minix was in shotgun formation on the next play and took off for a 7-yard gain. On fourth, however, Joseph Saldana and Damon May tracked down Minix for a 16-yard loss to the Hornet 32.

Cody Harrel got 14 yards on the next snap. After May got 2, Shackleford finished the drive with the final 16 yards and Vance’s PAT made it 41-14 with 9:19 to play.

Darren Shaeffer’s kickoff bounded out of bounds and the Hornets (8-2, 6-1) opted to take the ball at their 35 with Robinson returning to the game.

Gray got to Robinson and forced a fumble that Gray picked up himself at the Hornet 21 and turned it into a scoop and score and a 47-17 lead.

Game over.

The Bearcats got the ball back with 7:48 to go and with a 29-yard Michael Springs carry – the senior had 59 yards on only two carries – they were in a position to make Maumelle the seventh conference mercy rule victim.

After Jacob Cooney twice moved the chains the Bearcats would turn the ball over on downs at the Hornet 6 with 58 seconds to go.

Maumelle opened their senior with Kendall Donnerson returning the opening kickoff to the Hornet 40. The Bearcats then contributed an offside penalty.

Still three plays later it was fourth-and-1 at the Hornet 49. A play later it was Booneville’s ball at the Hornet 48.

May, Harrel and Josh Smith moved the ball to the 11 and May finished it from there. Smith added the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 6:28 to go in the first half.

Harrel would run for 122 yards on 15 carries.

Maumelle managed one first down on their second possession but on another fourth-and-1 the Hornets sent on Hunter Cockrell to punt.

After Springs got 30 and May 32 on back-to-back plays, the Bearcats made it 14-0 on a 3-yard run by May with 2:19 to go in the quarter.

Maumelle overcame an ineligible man down field penalty on the ensuing possession when Robinson hooked up with Braylon Waits for 40 yards and when the quarter ended the Hornets were at the Bearcat 4 facing a third-and-3.

Attempting to induce the Bearcats to jump offside, Maumelle jumped first and wound up settling for a Cockrell field goal to make it 14-3.

The Bearcats ran the lead to 21-3 with a 68-yard drive that included a pair of third down conversions. A third was wiped out by a block in the back penalty, but the Bearcats twice enticed Maumelle to jump offside before a 2-yard run by May made it 21-3 with 3:19 left in the half.

Maumelle was flagged again for an ineligible receiver downfield on the next possession, costing the Hornets a score, but they would eventually get a 1-yard scoring run by Robinson with 10 seconds left in the half to make it 21-10.

Having won the toss and deferred to the second half, the Bearcats got the ball first, but Maumelle forced Boonevile’s only punt of the night after only three plays.

Maumelle got one first down before having to punt themselves and a three play drive gave the Bearcats a 28-10 lead as Harrel, went 46 yards for a touchdown.

A 50-yard Robinson to Corey Cullins pass set up Cullins’ 12 yard run that cut the Bearcat lead back to 11 at 28-17 with 4:41 left in the third quarter.

Robinson threw for 191 yards for the Hornets.

Nine plays later the Bearcats were at the Hornet 3 facing a third down when they let the clock run out on the quarter.